


soft winter nights

by jaemarked



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28330839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaemarked/pseuds/jaemarked
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and Mark comes home early.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Mark Lee
Comments: 9
Kudos: 101
Collections: Twelve Days of ChristMark





	soft winter nights

**Author's Note:**

> merry christmas or happy holidays! this is the first fic out of twelve that i will be posting for a series that i call "the 12 days of christmark"!. 12 different mark lee fics from dec 25 to jan 5, a gift from me to you!
> 
> hope you enjoy :)

Jeno was curled up on the couch with a book when he heard someone knock. He glanced at the clock and realized how late it had gotten. In the bright glow of his lamp and the white lights from his tree, he didn’t even notice the sun setting. He sat up and his quilt slid off his shoulders as his fuzzy socks made contact with the wooden floor. It took him another few seconds before he could force himself to get up, and he didn’t even consider who would be knocking at this hour. 

He yelped when he opened the door to his best friend’s face, throwing his arms around Mark’s neck so forcefully they fell to the ground. Mark was dressed in a coat and boots, but Jeno was just in his pajamas. He didn’t care about the snow soaking into his clothes, not when he hadn’t seen Mark in _weeks_.

“What are you doing here?” Jeno asked, ignoring Mark’s groans as they climbed to their feet. He carefully brushed snow out of Mark’s hair and cupped his red ears, chastising him lightly for not wearing a hat or earmuffs.

“I got an early flight!” Mark’s eyes twinkled and Jeno had to wrap him in another hug, tucking his chin over Mark’s shoulder and squeezing hard. 

“I missed you,” Jeno whined, butting his forehead into Mark’s jaw and pressing his nose into Mark’s neck. He smelled like cologne, laundry soap and airport, which wasn’t that great of a mix, but it was _Mark_ and Jeno missed him _so much_.

“I missed you too. How about we go inside where it’s warm, yeah?” Jeno stepped back and noticed the suitcases at Mark’s feet. 

“Did you come straight here?” Jeno asked, scooping up Mark’s bags from the ground. 

Mark reached up to tug on his ear. “Of course.”

Pleased, Jeno wandered inside and dumped his bags in the guest bedroom, stopping in his own room to change out of his pajamas. He grabbed another set for Mark, rushing down the stairs. He found Mark crouched by the fire, warming up his hands. Jeno was tempted to spook him, but he decided it would be a bad idea. Mark was clumsy after all. 

“I brought you pajamas.” 

Mark turned around and beamed at him, his nose scrunched with the force of his smile, and Jeno was struck with the sudden urge to kiss him. The feeling startled him so badly that he dropped the pajamas on the floor. Luckily, Mark didn’t seem to notice his crisis. He just laughed and scooped the clothes off the ground, tweaking Jeno’s nose as he headed to the bathroom. Jeno’s mind was reeling, and he had to sit down. Since when did he think things like that? He’s never wanted to kiss his best friend before.

“This is a little big on me,” he heard Mark say, and when Jeno turned, Mark was dressed in his sweater and cotton sweatpants. The sweater was oversized on Jeno, but he didn’t expect for Mark to look positively _tiny._

“It looks nice,” Jeno said, getting distracted somewhere around Mark’s collarbones, the hem of the sweater slipping off his shoulders. Mark didn’t seem to care much about his modesty as he flopped down on the couch, stealing Jeno’s quilt. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Who else would I spend the holidays with?” Mark asked, giving Jeno _That_ smile. The smile he had only for Jeno, inexplicably fond and adoring. It always made Jeno feel warm inside to have a Mark Lee smile reserved especially for him. “Are we still visiting your parents on New Year’s?”

“Yeah,” Jeno confirmed, shifting so he could lean against Mark’s side. “They’re excited to have you.”

“I’m excited, too. I love your parents.” 

“They love you too. My mom always says—“ Jeno cut himself off, cheeks flushing red. He hoped he could blame it on the heat of the fire. “Um, never mind.”

His mom always said that he and Mark should get married. That they were already attached at the hip; they might as well be attached in every sense of the word. 

“What does your mom say?” Mark asked, and he leaned his head on Jeno’s shoulder, looking up at him with imploring eyes. 

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Jeno insisted. Mark gave him a knowing look but eventually relented.

“So what were you doing before I got here?” Jeno’s breath hitched when Mark picked up his hand and intertwined their fingers. _God_ , Mark Lee was going to be the death of him.

“Just reading a book.” Jeno had no idea where his book ended up, but he didn’t care, not when Mark was holding his hand. He kept staring at Mark’s little fingers, at his thumb rubbing across Jeno’s knuckles. “It was boring though.”

“Hmm,” Mark hummed, and when Jeno chanced a peek, Mark’s eyes were closed. Up close, Jeno could see the dark circles under his eyes, and it killed him to see his best friend look so exhausted. So after a few moments, he slid lower on the couch to make the position more comfortable for Mark. “Mm. I’m not sleeping.”

“Sure you aren’t,” Jeno whispered, bringing his unoccupied hand up to card his fingers through Mark’s hair. 

“Jeno,” Mark murmured, when Jeno had thought he had fallen asleep. His grip tightened around Jeno’s hand, but his eyes were still shut. Jeno studied the way his eyelashes fanned across his cheekbones and tried desperately not to think about kissing the mole on Mark’s cheek. “I’m so glad I get to spend Christmas with you.”

“Me too, Mark.” 

“I didn’t like it,” Mark said suddenly.

Jeno raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“The thought of you being alone for Christmas.” Mark shifted until his face was tucked into Jeno’s neck, and he hoped Mark couldn’t feel his pulse racing beneath his skin. “That’s why I came back early.”

“Oh.” _Oh_ , Jeno’s _heart._ “I’m… thank you. But I would have been fine, you know? You don’t have to do that for me.”

“Hmm, I know. But I wanted to, so I did.”

Jeno flushed, wiping his sweaty palms on his pajama pants and fidgeting with the fabric. He wondered how Mark could stand to be so genuine when even the slightest compliments got him flustered. 

“Want hot chocolate?” Jeno offered after a minute. He was feeling hot under the collar, and was tempted to hide away in the kitchen to avoid doing something stupid (like kissing Mark’s stupid face).

“I’m okay.” Jeno shivered when Mark’s lips brushed over the sensitive spot on his throat. “Let’s just stay like this.”

 _This is so overwhelming,_ Jeno thought. He was hyper-aware of every single place they were touching, Mark’s side pressed to his own with no space between. He could feel the heat radiating off of Mark’s skin even through their clothes. _But… he looks so comfortable. I don’t want to move._

Jeno stared into the fireplace instead, watching the flames dance and trying desperately not to think about Mark’s lips brushing over his collarbone. Judging by his steady breathing, Mark was fast asleep, probably unaware of what he was doing. Jeno’s mind was racing, and he was tempted to try slipping out from under Mark and running away to the kitchen. But it was warm, and he’d missed Mark _so_ much. Even though it had been a couple months since Mark started his contract work in the States, Jeno wasn’t used to not seeing him every day. And sure, they FaceTimed a couple times a week, but it wasn’t the same. He didn’t realize exactly how codependent he was on his best friend until he had to spend months without him.

“I really did miss you,” Jeno whispered, and took the chance to gently brush Mark’s cheek with his knuckles. His skin was soft and freshly shaven, though his face was thinner than Jeno remembered. He frowned and made a mental note to feed Mark hefty meals throughout the holidays. Knowing him, he had probably been working too hard to remember to eat most days, and he didn’t have Jeno around to nag him. 

It was scary, how at ease Jeno felt, like this was the first time in months that he could breathe properly now that Mark was at his side. It was like they were in their own little bubble and nothing else in the world mattered. 

He didn’t know how much time passed, but soon enough Mark was whining from the back of his throat, his nose scrunching up in the way that meant he was going to wake up soon.

“Jeno?” Mark mumbled a few minutes later, pushing himself up and squinting blearily at Jeno.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Jeno teased. “Should we get you to bed?”

“No, ‘m ‘wake.” Mark’s eyes were already drifting shut again, but he scrubbed at them until he could keep them open, then offered Jeno a breathtaking smile when he caught him staring. “Sorry for fallin’ asleep on you.”

“No big deal,” Jeno offered nonchalantly, though his pulse was still racing. “I didn’t mind at all.”

Mark just hummed in reply, his fingers curling in the hem of Jeno’s sweater. Jeno sat still and didn’t pay any mind until Mark’s hands slid up his sweater where his shirt was riding up beneath, his fingers cool against Jeno’s stomach.

Jeno froze, his muscles jumping under Mark’s touch. Mark traced designs into Jeno’s skin, still looking like he was half asleep. Jeno wanted to say something, but he also didn’t want Mark to stop.

“I want hot chocolate now,” Mark demanded childishly, and Jeno reached out without thinking to poke his lower lip. Mark’s eyes widened in surprise, and Jeno flushed, immediately climbing to his feet and heading into the kitchen.

It didn’t take long for Mark to pad in after him just as he was heating up the milk on the stove, digging in his cupboard for the fancy, delicious hot chocolate that Doyoung had bought for him last Christmas. 

“Can you pass me the small whisk?” Mark grabbed the utensil off the hook over the drying rack and handed it to Jeno, who used it to stir the powder into the hot milk.

“Do you have whipped cream?” 

“Yeah, it’s in the fridge.” Mark yanked open the fridge and seemed to have no trouble locating it on the bottom shelf of the door, pulling the fan out and closing the door with his hip. 

Jeno took the hot chocolate off the stove and poured it into two mugs, a matching set, and slid them over to Mark to spray in whipped cream. It struck him how domestic this felt, and realized that he’d do anything for them to stay like this. He’d do anything to live in synergy with Mark, arguably his better half.

“Smells good,” Mark said happily, wrapping his hands around his mug. Jeno reached for his own, taking a sip too fast and scorching his tongue, but it was soothed by the cold whipped cream. “You… got a little something.”

Jeno went cross-eyed, trying to see where the whipped cream had ended up, and nearly fell over when Mark stepped forward and wiped Jeno’s bottom lip with his thumb, then licked off the whipped cream himself. He watched Mark’s pink tongue flick over his skin and swallowed hard.

He was many things, but he was not strong. Not when it came to Mark Lee. Jeno didn’t even remember moving, but suddenly he had one hand around Mark’s wrist, pulling it away from his mouth, and the other settling on his hip. He almost missed Mark’s eyes darkening perceptibly as he focused on Mark’s pretty pink mouth. 

“Mark,” Jeno whispered. The air felt still around them, like the whole world was holding its breath in anticipation. Or maybe it was Jeno who couldn’t breathe, his chest tightening as Mark’s gaze flickered to his lips. 

“Jeno Lee,” Mark murmured, tantalizingly low. Jeno could barely repress the shiver down his spine.

Then, in a bout of honesty, he blurted, “I really want to kiss you.”

A hundred different emotions flickered across Mark’s face as Jeno bit his lip, but he settled on a half-smirk that was honestly kinda sexy. Jeno had a sexy best friend. “Then do it.”

And, well, Jeno didn’t have to be told twice. He leaned in carefully, but hesitated at the last second. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. 

_It’s just Mark,_ he reassured himself, but before he could work up the nerve to try again, he felt Mark’s lips on his own, soft and slightly chapped. He barely got to relish in the sensation before Mark pulled back, eyes searching Jeno’s face. He looked nervous.

“Kiss me again,” Jeno demanded, and Mark beamed, pulling him close until their bodies were aligned and slotting their mouths together once more. Mark tasted like chocolate and kissed like a dream, and Jeno couldn’t get enough of him.

“I think I really like you,” Jeno confessed, and Mark laughed against his lips.

“Jeno Lee, I’ve been in love with you since eleventh grade and you kissed my cheek after the basketball championships.”

Jeno startled, pulling back to stare at Mark incredulously. “That long?”

“That long,” Mark confirmed, and Jeno had to kiss him again.

“I’m sorry I took so long to catch up,” he said in between kisses, but Mark just giggled, sounding so, _so_ fond. Jeno’s heart felt fit to burst.

“You’re stupid if you think I wouldn’t always wait for you.”

Jeno pulled back again and squinted at him. “Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?”

Mark barked a laugh, sounding delighted. “That depends, is it working?”

He pondered for a moment. “Yes,” he said, then pressed Mark against the counter to stick his tongue in his mouth the way he’d been fantasizing about since Mark got here. 

“I am _so_ glad I came back early,” Mark groaned.

“Why, were you planning this? What would you have done if I hadn’t asked to kiss you?” 

“Used this,” Mark said, pulling out a sprig of mistletoe from his pocket. Jeno was pretty sure it was artificial. “Or maybe just pushed you up against a wall. You’re pretty irresistible.”

Jeno’s throat went dry. “Well, um. You could, uh, you could still do that. I mean. If you want to.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed and Jeno felt a bit like prey in the eyes of a predator. “Oh trust me, I want to.”

Jeno laughed nervously, looking away from Mark as his whole face turned red. He wasn’t used to a confident, flirty Mark, and he wasn’t used to a Mark who was into him. Though apparently, Mark had been into him for a really long time. His gaze caught on the stove’s clock, and he realized it was already past midnight.

“Oh!” He pointed at the clock, then threw his arms around Mark. “Merry Christmas, Mark!”

A soft laugh, then arms around his waist. Mark was so, so warm. “Merry Christmas, Jeno Lee.” 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/jaemarking)  
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/jaemarked)


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